Jack and Roxi have a vacant lot next to their house. It is the perfect place for Hide-and-Seek, or tag, or fort building.
Jack, Georgie, Phillip, and I head outside to breathe in the fresh air and run out the ants that were always in our pants.
Roxi, Maria, Wendy, and Lela are still inside where there is air conditioning.
I breathe in deep, relishing the sun's rays on my skin and the sound of the leaves crunching beneath my feet, as I follow the boys to the fort.
It is just a floor suspended between three trees about 10 feet off the ground, but it is magical to be up in a tree.
"After we nail the boards to the trunk for the second floor, we'll play Hide-and-Seek," Jack informs us.
"That's a good plan," Georgie agrees. "How many boards do we need?"
"Four."
I look up and narrow my eyes at the space above us. It is a pretty wide expanse between the three trees, and it is much higher up. I don't think Jo is gonna go for a second floor of the tree house.
"That's gonna be too high up," I inform Jack. "I bet your mom doesn't let you."
"Then why do I have the boards for the steps up here already?" he asks me, his hands set on his hips.
"Did you ask your mom?" Georgie wants to know, probably realizing the same thing I am.
Jack rolls his eyes and doesn't answer the question. Instead he tells Phillip to grab some nails from the bucket and he picks up one of the boards.
I sigh and sit, watching the three boys nail four boards into the trunk of the tree. Jack steps back and admires their work, declaring it to be perfect. We climb back down, ready to play Hide-and-Seek, but I don't want to play with only three hiders.
"I'm gonna go get the girls."
I dash inside, hollering for the girls, taking the stairs two at a time. I find them arguing because Wendy and Lela were spying on Roxi and Maria while they were playing college girls. I holler above their arguing, "The boys wanna play Hide-and-Seek. Do y'all wanna come play?"
Wendy and Lela giggle and stick their tongues out at Roxi and Maria, completely ignoring me. Roxi and Maria screech to see the protruding tongues and I start to get impatient. Jack isn't going to wait forever.
I holler again, "Let's play Hide-and-Seek!"
Maria whips around and glares at me. "I don't want to sweat, Kara!"
I roll my eyes, put my hands on my hips, and yell, "Well, you aren't gonna run that much anyway!"
"Then why do you want me to play?" she says, raising one eyebrow just like my mother.
I groan and flounce off. It is so annoying trying to get a good game of Hide-and-Seek going. I can't afford to argue with them anymore because Jack is going to get impatient and find something else to do if I don't hurry up.
I run outside to find the boys gone. Disappointed, I walk back inside.
Well...at least I know his mother isn't going to let him build a second floor and now I'm glad Wendy and Lela are annoying Maria and Roxi...
I decide to go help them.
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